Hi, I've cleaned out the old lube gunk from my Collaro conquest changer, but the main source of problems it appears is still the drive wheel. The turntable spins free and quiet but the drive wheel sounds like a grinder, it doesn't appear to be contacting the motor bearing off-step. I've attached a video - this is at 45rpm. Also it plays closer to 33 at 45, and 16 at 33. Any suggestions?

It actually sounds bad with the turntable on too (see attached video). I've lightly lubed the idler wheel shaft. I haven't lubed the motor bearings yet, when I remove the idler wheel and run just the motor it's silent. This might not be a Conquest, it has a 523456-2 code on it.

EDIT - one thing I notice is that the arm that pushes the idler wheel against the motor pulley doesn't do it very hard. I've cleaned out stuff there too but no difference. Maybe the spring on the end of that arm is not taught enough anymore. How soft should the rubber be on the idler wheel? Mine is pretty hard.

The drive tire has become hard and slick over time. The rubber on the drive tire is hard and makes noise as it rotates on the rim of the platter. You may need to send your drive wheel into VM Audio Enthusiasts so they can rebuild it. You have to send your old one and cash in for the rebuilt one. The last one I bought was $28, IIRC.

Ah yes, I saw their site. I'll look into it further. Be nice to verify exactly which model I have, but I'll follow up with them. Thanks - I kinda had a feeling that might be the case.

Right on. I figured that he had a new idler. I have a Lenco turntable, a multi-speed device, and it made the same kind of racket. On that one, I peeled the old tire off the idler and replaced it with an O-ring. The original idler had a triangular-section tire on it, because of the variable-speed mechanism ( a tapered shaft drives the idler, which moves along it).

To eliminate this noise on Zenith and Magnavox players, I had to get rebuilt idler pulleys. The postage of sending the old one in to Gary at VM and getting a rebuilt one back, brings the bill to $36 usually.

I have concluded that if a record changer is left on for days-weeks like the two I had appear to be, the heat from the often-stalled shaded pole motor will cause the rubber to dry and crack, and then making this noise every time.